163d Medical Group treats island locals in joint exercise

Maj. Maria Ignacio, nurse practitioner, 163rd Medical Group, California Air National Guard, March Air Reserve Base, checks local man Ernesto Leano for ear disease using an otoscope at the Iao Intermediate School in Wailuku, Hawaii, last month. More than 500 U.S. service members spread across Hawaii for Tropic Care 2013, a deployment readiness training exercise that offers free health care to medically underserved areas of the state.

WAILUKU, Hawaii. – Twenty-four members of the 163d Medical Group from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., participated in Tropic Care 2013, a joint readiness training mission that offered free health care to medically underserved areas of the state from June 4 to 12. They joined more than 500 other U.S. service members that gathered across Hawaii for the operation.

The Innovative Readiness Training mission was designed to prepare service members for rapid response missions and disaster relief in a tropical setting while simultaneously aiding the local populace, said Air Force Col. Jerry Arends, mission director for Tropic Care 2013. It involved active duty, Guard and Reserve units from the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy.

Optometry, dentistry, physical exams and counseling were among the types of care provided, all of which locals received on a “first come, first served” basis, free of charge and without any form of identification required until operations ended on June 12.

By mission’s end, the clinics saw approximately 6,000 optometry patients, 3,000 dental patients and 3,000 medical patients. More than a thousand prescription glasses were made during the mission, the largest IRT operation to date.

Members of the 163 MDG were spread out across three islands. The group included junior enlisted airmen getting their first experiences with this type of training.

“For them it’s very valuable because it gives them an overview of what we actually do in the field, especially for someone new to the unit that’s never been deployed,” said Maj. Julian Manalo, site commander for the Iao Intermediate School clinic. “It gives them a chance to see what it’s like, to see the living conditions and what’s involved with the work. It’s good training.”

The medical group’s team included optometry technicians, dental hygienists, nurses, a pediatrician, a logistics specialist, a dentist, medics, public health specialists, two site commanders and more. They were joined by Col. David Walton, California Air National Guard’s state air surgeon, who provided his services in women’s health on Lana’i.

The group was a major contributor to the mission, with personnel working at several clinical sites in Maui, Ka’u and on the big island of Hawaii.

Senior Airman Katy Peña, a medic, was among the 163 MDG’s team members in Maui. She said the mission was an excellent training experience as well as an excellent life experience.

“On one hand you get real-world training, treating people with symptoms that you don’t normally see on the mainland,” said Peña. “On the other hand, you also see what the conditions are like for people who live here and can’t afford health care. You really learn to appreciate things.”

Some were prescribed medicine for simple aches and pains, others were able to receive prescription glasses made completely on-site, and there were even potentially life-changing experiences.

Manalo and Peña recalled a young girl who traveled from another island with her mother when they heard about the military’s offering of free medical treatment. The girl suffered from elephantiasis, a condition characterized by the gross enlargement of areas of the body, typically the limbs. The parasitic infection had caused the girl’s leg to balloon in size, which caused her pain and also stunted her growth. She was 14 years old, though at first glance many thought she was closer to half that age.

She was able to be treated and referred to the Department of Public Health for continued treatment. It was estimated that her leg would return to a normal size in about one year, which would enable her to live a more normal life.

Another local was particularly grateful for the mission.

“It is a blessing for me because I don’t have health care,” said 61-year-old Ernesto Leano, who was being treated for back problems. “I said, ‘thank God,’ when I saw this.”

“I’m very happy to see you here,” said Leano. “I will never forget in my life how they helped me here.”

The next destination for the 163 MDG is Latvia, as they accompany a civil engineer unit on a mission to build a schoolhouse. That mission is slated for August.

Local Military Discounts

Pentagon Channel

March Field offers mental health services through Elaine Valentine, 452nd Air Mobility Wing, director of psychological health and a licensed clinical social worker with more than 15 years of experience in the mental health care...

Photo: Air ForceNinth Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Binnicker died on March 21. Former Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Binnicker, who was the service’s top enlisted man from 1986 to 1990, passed away in Ca...

California Air National Guard photo/ Staff Sgt. Gregory Solman Civil Air Patrol World War II service members receive replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony held in their honor at the March Field Air Museum in Ma...

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Air Force Services Activity has announced two teen summits for dependent children of current Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve members. Dependents 14-18 years have until May 15 to sign up for the AFR/ANG Classic Summit in Dahlonega, Georgia, July 12-15, or the Adventure Summit in Estes Park,...

WASHINGTON (AFNS) — The Air Force responded to the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force’s recommendations in a report to Congress March 4. Of the Commission’s 42 recommendations, Air Force officials disagreed with only one and are already in the process of implementing 25, as well as developing plans or pilot programs...

Information

Publisher

The Beacon is published by Aerotech News and Review. Aerotech is a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with the 452nd Air Mobility Wing. This civilian enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for employees and members of U.S. military services, retirees and family members. Contents are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the DoD or the Department of the Air Force.

Disclaimer

The appearance of advertising in this newspaper, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement of the products or services by the DoD, the Department of the Air Force or Aerotech News and Review, Inc.
Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the staff of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs office at March Air Reserve Base. All photographs in the Beacon are Air Force photos unless otherwise stated.